Texas botched an attempt at Medicaid cuts

State Sen. Jane Nelson, right, R-Flower Mound, discusses the state budget during last year’s legislative session in Austin. Behind Nelson are other senators and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, top right. Ralph BarreraAP

State Sen. Jane Nelson, right, R-Flower Mound, discusses the state budget during last year’s legislative session in Austin. Behind Nelson are other senators and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, top right. Ralph BarreraAP

Attempts by Texas budget writers to cut $100 million in Medicaid payments for physical, occupational and speech therapy for needy children have turned into a real mess less than a year after they were approved.

Legislative leaders are clearly trying to shave expenditures from very expensive programs, but they’ve also tried to avoid responsibility for negative consequences.

Normally, courts shouldn’t get involved in shaping the state budget. But this effort has been bungled so much that courtroom arguments and judicial rulings are the only way to straighten it out.

A group of therapy providers and families of children with disabilities sued the state to block the cuts, saying they will deprive children of services they need.

Consider the lawsuit from therapy providers and families to be strongly negative input.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Flower Mound Republican state Sen. Jane Nelson, the chairman of the budget-writing Senate Finance Committee, told Traylor he had “the flexibility to strive for achieving $100 million in savings in Medicaid therapy services while preserving access to services.”

That reads like an attempt to shift responsibility to Traylor. But he didn’t take the bait.

“I understand your letter to direct HHSC to preserve access to care even if it means the full rate reductions contemplated by Rider 50 cannot be achieved,” he wrote back to Patrick and Nelson.

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